The Princess and Dagger
by D.N.Ambi
Summary: Based on 'The Prince and the Pauper' by Mark Twain, this is sort of a retelling of Final Fantasy IX if the real Princess Garnet was still alive. Princess Garnet and a nameless servant girl meet and decide to switch places. IN PROGRESS. ON HIATUS.
1. The Birth of Two Little Girls

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Final Fantasy IX it'd be recreated for the PS3 with voice acting AND have a sequel by now.**

In the small kingdom of Alexandria, on April 11th, a little girl was born. This little girl brought joy to everyone the minute she was born. Her parents and her kingdom longed for her. Why? She was born to the king and queen of Alexandria. She was born the as the heir to the throne. She was born a princess. Once her birth was announced the whole kingdom rejoiced! There was, at last, an heir to the throne! No one could stop talking about the birth of Princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII. The king, queen, and every subject of the kingdom were confident that she would be a graceful princess and a powerful queen once the time came. She would be spoiled with many gifts and the servants would tend to her every need. Princess Garnet would grow up loved.

On the very same day, another little girl was born. This little girl also brought joy to everyone the minute she was born. But this girl was not a princess. She was going to be a strong, normal girl. She brought joy to her family and family friends. Her parents were not the richest, in fact no one was. She would not be able to have nearly as much as Princess Garnet, but they wanted this little girl to also grow up loved. But what neither family knew that both little girls looked almost exactly the same! Unfortunately, this extraordinary event went unnoticed for a number of years.

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_Author's Note: Eventual Zid/Dag! I promise! Anyway, I'm only 14 and this is my first attempt at a fanfiction so please don't be too harsh. :/ But I'll appreciate reviews and constructive criticism! :D The concept of this FFIX fanfiction is based on 'The Prince and the Pauper' by Mark Twain and a tiiiiny bit by the movie 'Barbie as The Princess and the Pauper'. I've only written 3 chapters so far but then I started to read the book and I decided to change the story dramatically. lol. I'm only on the fourth chapter of the book and I found out how boring Mark Twain is! Uggghhh!!! But I'll try to read the whole thing even if Twain is confusing me with all the 'dar'sts' and the 'do'sts' and all the other confusing words. I figured out what they all mean but it just takes me a while... Even though I haven't read the whole thing I know the main plot. If you don't know it, here it is in a nutshell: A prince and a poor pauper meet each other and find they look exactly alike and they switch places because they're both facinated with the other's way of life and eventual troubles come of that, etc etc etc... Anyway, sorry for the long A/N but please bare with me!_


	2. Two Different Lives

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Final Fantasy IX it'd be recreated for the PS3 with voice acting AND have a sequel by now.**

* * *

_16 years later in Alexandria..._

I awakened from a peaceful dreamless sleep in my warm and comfortable satin bed. I sit up and stretch. I am very satisfied with my night's rest. I look over at the grandfather clock to see what the time of day is. It says seven-o-clock. I am relieved. I do not know how many times my mother scolds me for sleeping until the late morning. 'Princesses never sleep in later than ten-o-clock in the morning,' she always says. But my internal alarm clock would always ignore her; waking up at eleven or even eleven thirty. I look around around my chamber through my canopy. The only window is to the left right next to my bed in the middle of the room, I always open it to let some air in. Not only that, but I have a great view of the Alexandrian Harbor and certain parts of my kingdom of Alexandria.

I love watching people wander about and watching children play. It is good to know that my subjects are happy. My deepest secret is that I have always wondered what it is like to be one of my subjects... What it is like to wander free and take a break from my duties--just for a day or two. I know my duties are important but it would be nice to have a break from my etiquette lessons, calligraphy lessons, history lessons, and everything else. I just want a day where I do nothing but relax and not read. I do not enjoy reading that much. I only read plays willingly, I read everything else by force. Not to mention, my life is very dull most of the time.

Near the door and my bed is a little wooden table and four matching wooden chairs. Under them is an elegant pink rug with pink roses on it. I look further to my left and see my master restroom and my huge closet filled with royal gowns, shoes, capes, jewelry, and my silver crown. The only piece of jewelry that is not in there is my Pendent. I never put my Royal Pendent anywhere but around my neck. I look down at it and hold it in my hand. It looks like a Falcon's Claw because of the shape. But the shape is slightly different than the real Falcon's Claw, which belongs to the regent of the neighboring regency of Lindblum. His name is Cid--Regent Cid Fabool IX, but I call him Uncle Cid because he was my late father's best friend. When my father died two years ago he left the kingdom to my mother, Queen Brahne.

I look up. The tan walls are fading and the wooden floors are a little scuffed up. I shall ask my servants to take care of that later because I want to tell them before my mother finds out. She can be harsh at times. Lately she's been acting strange. I subconsiously gripped my Pendent. I do not know what is wrong with her. Maybe she is still sad over Father's death? About a year after he died--which was about a year ago--I saw a strange man with her... And ever since then she has been acting very arrogant, selfish..._hostile_... It makes me worry. I need a break from her. It pains me a little. She had always been so kind, but now...

I hear my door open and I look to see that one of my maids Eva, entered my chamber. Her short red hair bounces as her petite figure walks closer to me. I let go of my Pendent.

"Oh!" she gasped. "You're awake! That's good to see." She walks over to my bed and pulls my canopy open. "By the way, Princess, happy birthday! So how does it feel to turn sixteen today?"

"Well, it doesn't feel any different... But I'm excited nonetheless," I answered.

Today is my sixteenth birthday. I am to get extra special treatment and tonight an acting troupe from Lindblum called Tantalus will be performing my favorite play 'I Want To Be Your Canary' in honor of my birthday. Nobles will be there and since peasants cannot afford a ticket to the play I believe a lot will watch from the rooftops even though they are not permitted to do so. I wonder what it's like to sit so high up there.

"So, Princess Garnet, is there anything I can do for you?" Eva said, interupting my thoughts. "Could I help you dress for the day? Maybe make you some breakfast? Or perhaps make your bed?" Eva also acts as my lady-in-waiting. Oh Eva, always willing to do something for me.

"Nothing at the moment, Eva. You are free to leave," I answer. "I think I may lay here for a little while longer. Could you see to it that no one disturbs me for a while?"

She looked at me with surprise. "Um, of course, Princess." And then she walked out of the room and shut the door in a daze.

I usually get everything I want. It is nice to see I am loved. But it _can_ get annoying at times. Even though I just told Eva I was going to lay here a little longer, I might as well get up. I slowly get up and walk to my closet with my white nightgown fluttering behind me. I open the doors and there they are: all of my clothes and accessories in every color imaginable. It looks like a rainbow with all the different colors. I see what I want to wear until the play so I grabbed my silver high-heels, my silver crown, and a short-sleeved shin-length baby blue dress. The dress looks pretty but I don't really like how it fits me. I fell asleep in my corset so I'm still wearing it, that saves me the trouble of finding Eva to help me get it on. I walk into my master restroom to change my clothes.

.........................................................................................................

"HURRY UP!" Madame Eclair shouted. "I DON'T PAY YOU TO BE A SNAIL!"

I hurry my way into the dress shop from my room with the seven new dresses it took literally all night for me to sew. Today is my sixteenth birthday but I'm not making a huge deal over it. Nothing special's gonna happen. It's just another typical day. "Um, Madame Eclair? You don't pay me at all," I point out.

"THAT'S EXACTLY MY POINT! YOU'RE TOO SLOW, HORN!" she lashed back.

Her short gray hair looks even grayer as she's yelling at me. Today she is wearing a huge light blue beret with a huge dark red bow on the top and her dress is the same shade of blue as her hat and another huge dark red bow is on her left waist. The dress is a little too tight on her--she's not the thinnest woman around--and it goes to the top of her knees. Her shoes are the same color as those stupid bows. She wears the ugliest things, I swear... But I have to make her exactly what she wants or she'll throw a fit.

She calls me 'Horn' because of my horn on the top of my forehead. I hate that so-called name but I decide not to argue with her. The last time I did she didn't allow me to eat for two days. I don't get that much food to begin with but I still need my food. I guess I should be grateful that I'm not living on the streets anymore but it's so hard to be grateful when this tramp yells at me all the time.

She is the owner of 'Madame Eclair's Dress Shop,' and she wants it to be the most famous dress shop in Alexandria. It's just a simple little three-room structure. It consists of the main shop, Madame's nice little bedroom, and my room. My room is so small it could be a walk-in closet but all it really is is just a small rotted room with a very firm mattress, a tiny blanket, and of course my fabric and sewing equipment. Don't get me wrong, I _am_ grateful to have a roof over my head. But Madame only took me in because she didn't want to do everything herself. She still doesn't. The only thing she does is manage the money and get food for me once in a blue moon while I sew and clean. Originally when she hired me I told her all I require is shelter and food. But she later realized that I have nowhere to go so I can't run away. Even if I did, how would I find work, a place to live, and food?

She's very picky and it doesn't matter if I make one little mistake or if I do everything as I'm told, she yells at me constantly. I honestly don't like to displease her, it makes me wonder what I'm doing wrong and how I can improve. Or maybe she's just yelling for the heck of it. I never complain and I never get out of line--for the most part--but no matter what I do I'm always getting criticized. She obviously doesn't appreciate me but I don't really care. I don't need appreciation because I've never had it. I've been alone ever since I can remember. I'm too scared to confront her about almost anything so I usually stay quiet to avoid any cruel and unusual punishments. It's not like she'd care about what I have to say--unless it's money related.

I make all these beautiful dresses and I can't even make one for myself. I just wear a simple long-sleeved yellow dress with simple yellow dress shoes. It's not that I don't like it because I do... It's just I've always wanted to wear something elegant. Although I'm not sure it would suit me. I'm too thin and my long straight black hair drapes over my back and ends with splits. I don't even think I've ever even _had_ a haircut.

I start to put the first dress on a mannequin without saying a single word. Then I notice a woman coming in. Not just any woman--a Noble from Treno! Her dirty blonde hair is done in a complex bun and she was wearing a huge light blue sunhat with a huge dark blue feather on top. Her dress is the same shade of blue as her hat and she is wearing a dark blue fur coat with black dress shoes. And how can I forget her black gloves, her diamond necklace, and her dangly diamond earrings? How elegant! I'm so excited! I've never seen a Noble this close to me before! I watch to see what Madame Eclair does.

She doesn't freak out and just runs over to her and exclaims "Welcome to Madame Eclair's Dress Shop! I am Madame Eclair."

Then she bows so low that her behind is sticking way too high up. Normally I would've ignored it but this is different. A Noble was here and she's bowing like that, how informal. I can't help but chuckle a bit. Luckily she doesn't hear me and keeps talking to the Noble.

"All the dresses here are custom made by me. So if you need any help finding a dress, please ask me and not... anyone else in the shop."

My excitement faded. What? I made all of these dresses! Is this what she's been telling her customers all this time? She takes all the credit? I'm bewildered even though I probably should've seen this coming.

The Noble smiled with approval and said "Thank you. I just might."

I run over to where they are and... Well I have to say _something!_

"What are you saying, Madame? I made all these dresses! Is this what you've been telling everyone? That _you_ made them?" I'm not yelling but my voice is raised pretty high. I'm not a yeller.

Madame looks furious as she's turning to face me but the Noble doesn't notice. "What are you _talking_ about?" she says with a fake laugh. "Of _course_ I made all these dresses!" Then she turns to the Noble. "I'm so sorry, ma'am! This girl, I'm afraid, is not right in the head, She always thinks she made them whem all I have her do is put them on display. Please ignore her." Then Madame fake-laughed again.

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Anger is boiling up inside me. After all these years of dealing with her... I have to say something!

"No!" I tell the Noble. I point at Madame. "She's lying! I made them all!" Then me and Madame start fighting and try to persuade the Noble who's right. The Noble just walks out of the shop with her nose high in the air.

Uh-oh.

Madame then grabs my arms and shouts "COME WITH ME!" She pulls me into my room in the far-left corner of the shop. She throws me against the wall, grabs a broomstick and starts beating me like there's no tomorrow.

"YOU FILTHY VERMON! YOU MADE THE NOBLE WALK OUT! THIS SHOP WOULD'VE BECOME THE MOST POPULAR DRESS SHOP IN ALEXANDRIA IF THAT NOBLE LIKED IT! BUT LOOK WHAT YOU DID!" Head, hip, side, leg. She's hitting anywhere. Each blow feels like a gunshot. She starts beating me harder to the point where I start to moan and choke. One final blow sends me straight to the ground. I can't move at all. My sides, my back, and my head are all aching even worse now. I haven't fully recovered from the last time.

"That'll teach you," Madame said with a smile. She slams the door and says she's leaving for a while and that I should mind the shop.

I have to admit I'm shocked. Literally. That was too much, even for her. I never thought she'd go this far. Sure she's beaten me before but somehow this is filled with more physical pain. I figure there are even more bruises now. It wouldn't surprise me if some bruises resurfaced. Ugh, I can't believe I'm not mentally ill from everything in my life.

I look at a nearby clock that's nailed to the wall. Seven-thirty. I must've been laying on the floor for about twenty minutes. I slowly get up and start to limp back to the shop, ignoring my pulsing head and other achy parts of my body. If I didn't get up I'd be in for it even worse later. I guess I should be happy that no bones are broken. At least I'm not bleeding this time. Although I probably wouldn't mind going unconcious for a little while.

I open the door and I'm amazed to find that she trashed the place. There's dirt all over the ground and a lot of dresses got knocked over on the dirt. So she wasn't satisfied with hitting, huh? How did I not hear her make this mess? I sigh and get the broom she beat me with and start sweeping the dirt. It hurts to stand but I do it anyway. I'll do whatever it takes to avoid another beating.

My eyes start to feel strange and I don't even know why. I stop and wipe them. Then a tear trickles down my cheek and another right behind it then all of a sudden it's as if my eyes are waterfalls. I bottle up the useless cry, ignore the pointless tears, and keep sweeping the mess without wiping them away.

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_Author's Note: *Yawn* I'm tired. And kinda sick. Fun. Hmmm... was this too long? To express how I feel about this chapter I shall use a quote from Glee: "Oh hey, buddy. I thought I smelled failure." Haha I know this chapter's kinda slow... I know in the beginning you pretty much already know most of it... But oh well! I promise things will pick up by the next chapter! Oh and every time I read the lines "I do not know how many times my mother scolds me for sleeping until the late morning. 'Princesses never sleep in later than ten-o-clock in the morning,' she always says. But my internal alarm clock would always ignore her; waking up at eleven or even eleven thirty." I always think sarcastically: "OOOOOO! YOU'RE A REBEL! BAD PRINCESS! BAD!" lol._


	3. The Switch

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Final Fantasy IX it'd be recreated for the PS3 with voice acting AND have a sequel by now.**

* * *

It is a beautiful day today. Walking around my kingdom is simply relaxing. Although I cannot say I enjoy my company.

"Princess! Why did you insist on going outside?"

"Steiner," I sighed. "It is my birthday. Don't you think _I_ have the right to do something _I_ want for once?"

Captain Adelbert Steiner. Captain of the Knights of Pluto. Overprotective. He walks in his rusty armor all the time. You can always tell if he's around if you hear loud 'clanks'.

"Well... I suppose, Princess... But why did you want to go alone?"

"I wanted to enjoy myself," I answered bluntly.

"Well, Princess, if I may say so, you can still enjoy yourself without going alone. Besides, who knows what kind of trouble you would run into without me!"

"What makes you so sure?" He is _really_ starting to irk me.

"You cannot trust anyone who is not royalty or noble!"

I smiled. "Ahh, I see. So I cannot trust _you_ then?"

"Your Highness... Please do not toy with me. That is not specifically what I meant..."

I groaned. It is true that Steiner is strong but it is very annoying to have to be accompanied by a guard at all times--especially when the guard is him. If I must be guarded then why must the guard be him? I want to go back to the castle now... I _attempted_ to say hello to a few people but Steiner pulled me away saying that I 'should not waste a perfectly nice walk to chat with common folk who may intend to steal my pendant'. As usual, he's jumping to conclusions. No one is noticing us anyway, they are all too busy getting ready for the play. Even though I really wish I could go back... Something is stopping me. Maybe it is... a _feeling?_ Yes, that is it. Something is going to happen. But what could it be? Why do I have this feeling?

..............................................................................................................

I finally finished sweeping the mess. I put a closed sign in the front of the shop. Right now I'm walking around just because I need to work out a little. If I sit in the shop and do nothing I might become stiff due to the injuries caused by the beating. And I _really_ don't want that. I decided to wear a long brown cloak with a hood just in case Madame's around. It's a nice day outside. I look around and notice children running around.

"I saw the Nobles first!"

Nobles? There're more here? _Oh yeah._ Today is Princess Garnet's birthday too...

I snap out of my thinking only to find that I'm in a completely different area and have no idea how long I've been walking. Great. I try to remember only to bump into someone wearing armor. I bounce back and fall on the ground--hitting the back of my head in the process.

"OW!" I shouted. I rub my head and start to apoligize only to be cut off by the person I ran into.

"Watch where you're going you insolent peasant!"

"Hey! I didn't do it on purpose!" I countered. "I wasn't watching where I was going so I'm sorry. I know it's my fault."

"Well then... at least you know your place," the man said with approval.

Oh, brother. It looks like a guard for Alexandria Castle. Just my luck.

"CAPTAIN ADELBERT STEINER!"

The yell made me jump. I look over to see a woman yelling at him.

"I am appalled that you would treat a poor innocent person like that! Apoligize this instant!"

Yeah like he's really gonna liste--

"I apoligize..."

What? He listened to her? But that could only mean...

She walks over to me and helps me up.

"I am terribly sorry. Why don't you come back to the castle with us so you can get cleaned up?"

It's the princess of Alexandria. I'm speachless.

"I-I... No! Um... Thank you, Your Highness, but I'm sure you're really busy..." What am I saying? Of course I want to go!

"Nonsense," the princess said. "Come."

She grabs my arm and starts walking back to the castle with the angry guard stomping behind us.

....................................................................................................

When I saw her bump into Steiner my feeling got stronger. I thought maybe _she_ is what my feeling is about. I still do not know why... But I intend to find out. We're in the castle now and I am leading her to my chamber. I look back occasionally and she looks absolutely awed. I do not know why. This is my home. Then again, she's a peasant so she probably has never been in such a huge and beautiful place. I notice she has a horn on her head. It's kind of strange... We finally reach my chamber. I dismiss Steiner and shut the door.

"Is this... your room?" she asks.

"Yes, but I prefer to call it a chamber."

"Oh, sorry..."

As she is looking around I notice she seems very tense and nervous. I wish she'd take off her hood but I decide not to be impolite.

"There is no need to panic," I say. "I just thought you may want to clean up and relax. I do apoligize for Steiner's irrelevent behavior. You did not deserve it. But please do not take it personally... He is like that with pretty much everyone."

She becomes less tense and answers without looking at me. "Except you and the queen, right?"

She is bold to say that to me of all people. It makes me a little uncomfortable. "Right... Well... Why don't we chat for a while?" I say, changing the subject matter.

"Uhhh... Okay then... What do you want to chat about?"

I gesture to the table. "Here. Sit."

She slowly sits down as if she's about to sit on a boiling hot surface. I sit next to her.

"Well... How old are you?" I ask.

"I'm sixteen today. Just like you."

"Really?" I gasped. "That is amazing!" Someone else with the same birthday as me? How ironic.

She shrugs. "Well I hope you enjoy your celebration, Princess. I'm guessing that's why all these Nobles are here."

I smile. "Yes. A theater troupe called Tantalus is performing a play in my honor. It starts at eight-o-clock tonight. Would you like me to give you a seat? And by the way, _you_ may call me Garnet."

"Um... Sorry... Garnet... I can't," she says. "I have to work."

I am puzzled. "You have to work? I thought everyone was closing early to see the play..."

She shook her head. "I doubt everyone else has to work for a mean boss."

I suddenly become intriged. "Tell me about it."

She looks shocked for a moment. "Well... Okay... Uhhh... Well, I work at Madame Eclair's Dress Shop--"

"Really? I love her dresses! They're so exquisite!" I interrupt.

She smiles. "_I_ made the one you're wearing."

I look down at my dress and look back up to her. "Really? It is so pretty! Although it doesn't fit me quite right... I guess it is the material or... something..."

"Oh well. Not every dress is perfect..." she says unsure of herself.

"Tell me more."

"Well... She makes me work constantly and she always yells and criticizes me. I actually make _all _the dresses. Sometimes she beats me for no reason..."

I feel my eyes widen. "_Beatings?_ How cruel! No offense but you look really weak!"

"Yeah, Madame says that to me a lot..."

I frown. "I thought Madame Eclair was nice..."

She laughs half-heartedly. "To everyone else maybe."

"Is that all you do? Work? Don't you get a day off for your birthday?"

"I've never gotten a day off. All I do is work pretty much. But let me guess... You have millions of servants and hardly have to do a thing?"

"On the contrary," I say sternly. "I am learning the art of ruling a nation. My life becomes easily dull. I am hardly allowed anywhere without guards. I really do wish for a break from everything."

She becomes silent. As if she's in deep thought.

"I have an idea," I say to break the uneasy silence. "Why don't you take a bath? I'm sure it would feel nice. The tub should already be filled for me. I don't feel like bathing today."

Before she objects I grab her arm and pull her to the master restroom. I push her in and tell her to use my bathrobe and to enjoy herself. And that I would be waiting for her.

....................................................................................................

I stare at the bathtub and without a single thought I strip and get in. Oh! It feels amazing! The warmth curves around my body and tingles my sores. I could stay in here all day. I start thinking about this whole situation. It had happened so fast. She must think I'm pathetic! Bumping into that guard, not objecting to anything... Why did she insist that I come to the castle? I'm a peasant! What could she be thinking? Sure I've noticed she acts a little snooty but she must have some sort of unique thinking process for all of this... I notice next to me that there's soap and without hesitation I scrub myself until every last speck of dirt is gone from my skin and hair.

While scrubbing, I think about what she said. She actually has to work? I always assumed that all royalty gets pampered and that they don't have to do _anything._ That's what servants are for, right? She _obviously_ gets pampered but she actually works? Well, whatever work she does, it's most likely nothing compared to what I have to go through every day. I'm pretty sure she doesn't get any beatings. And why do _I_ get to call her Garnet? I have no special status.

The water is now neutral. I look down and the water is all brown. Gross. I had no idea I was _that_ dirty. So _that's_ what happens when you don't bathe for a long time... I step out, grab a towel sitting on a chair and dry myself. I put on Garnet's bathrobe. It is silky white and oh so comfortable! I automatically feel cleaner and I look at myself in the mirror that's part of a vanity. I notice the difference right away. I didn't know I was that pale... I take a minute to gush over it and then I slowly open the door and see Garnet laying on her bed across the room. I decide to tell her about the bath water.

"Sorry, Garnet, but the water's all brown now..."

She sits up and looks at me with disbelief. "What? How long has it been since you've had a bath?"

I think for a moment... And I'm not really sure... "Well, I can tell you one thing, it was longer than a few months ago."

She's obviously trying to mask her discust.

"And it's _not_ my fault," I quickly add.

She gulps and makes an uneasy face as she's thinking of what to say. "I suppose... it cannot be helped..."

Why is she being so nice to me? I'm about to go back in the bathroom when she asks a question. "By the way, I didn't get your name. What is it?"

My back is turned to her and I look down. I might as well tell her the truth after all she's done for me so far. "I don't have one... At least not that I remember."

There's silence. But then I hear footsteps walking toward me. "How is that possible?" she asks with pity in her voice.

I hesitate but decide not to tell her everything. "I think I lost my memory. I know I had a name and a family... but I don't remember it. The only thing I remember is that today is my birthday."

I turn around to see she's right behind me.

"Wow... I am sorry..." she mumbles.

"Don't worry about it," I reassure even though this very subject has always bothered me.

Her mouth drops suddenly. "Oh my!"

"What?" I ask with concern.

"Why haven't I noticed this before! We look exactly alike!"

I'm stunned to hear this. I wasn't paying attention to her looks before but now that she mentions it I realize she's right! There are a few differences I notice, like my hair is slighty longer and darker, she's thin but not as thin as me, and I'm thinking I may be a tiny bit shorter than her. We stare at each other for who-knows-how-long. It's as if we're looking in an invisible mirror. All of a sudden Garnet's eyes light up and she smiles. "I have an idea."

"What?"

"We can switch places!"

"WHAT?"

"I'm serious! Think about it, you deserve pampering and I deserve a break! It all makes sense!"

"That won't work! You won't be able to handle everything I do!" I protest. Is she _crazy?_ She _really_ has _no_ idea what the real world is like! But I guess that's not _her_ fault...

"I can teach you to be me and you can teach me to be you!"

"That'll never work!" I protest some more.

"Please?" she says, bending her knees and putting her hands on my shoulders.

She's practically begging now. And to _me_ of all people. I can't just say no to someone who ranks higher than me... Who knows what'll happen to me! But then again, this could be a golden oppertunity for me. "...You're not gonna let me say no are you?" I finally say.

She takes her hands off my shoulders and stands up straight with sparkles in her eyes. "No! So will you oblige?"

"...Fine," I say, defeated. I really hope I didn't just make a mistake I'll regret for the rest of my life...

She pulls me into the bathroom--why does she keep pulling me?--and we start to switch clothes. She shrugs out of her dress and starts to put on mine. I take off her bathrobe and start to put on hers. Garnet obviously isn't a huge fan of silence.

"I usually wear a bun but since it is my day off I'm not wearing one right now... Not until the play starts."

I twirl once and say "Okay, I'll keep that in mind..." She then all of a sudden skips over and drapes her necklace over my neck.

"I never take off my Silver Pendant and neither will you," she warns. It almost sounds like a threat...

"Don't worry," I _attempt _to say cheerfully.

We're done and we now stare at each other. Me wearing her blue dress and silver heels and her wearing my yellow dress, brown cloak, and brown shoes. It doesn't look like we changed clothes at all. Not a change has been made, not really. Garnet smiles but then adjusts my dress.

"Something wrong?" I ask.

"This dress is a little too small..."

"It's funny that you say that because your dress fits me perfectly," I say.

"Does that mean you're thinner than me? How extraordinary... How is it so?"

"I don't get a lot of food..."

"What?" she says, appalled.

"Well... If we're gonna switch places then it shouldn't be for very long..." I say ignoring her outburst.

"How about... Umm... We'll switch back the day after tomorrow?" she suggests nervously.

"Okay."

Her eyes widen again. "Your horn!"

I completely forgot about that. "Not to worry," I say proudly. I put my hands around my horn and close my eyes for a few seconds. I open my eyes again to see the princess looking stunned.

"That green energy... Was that magic? How did you learn magic?"

"Yeah, but I don't know. It's something I've been able to do," I tell her truthfully. I put my hands around her forehead and more green energy appears. A white horn slowly appears on her head.

"Ummm... How long does this last?"

"Until the day after tomorrow."

All of a sudden we hear a knock on the bathroom door. "Princess?"

"Oh! That's my maid and lady-in-waiting, Eva! I think I should go now!" she whispers quickly.

"Wait! Tell me one thing," I say slowly. "Why do you want to do this?"

She answers as slowly as I asked that question. "You deserve to be pampered and to get away from Madame Eclair and I deserve a break from all of my duties and my mother." Garnet then runs to the door and opens it. "Sorry," she says to Eva. "I'm leaving now." She waves and walks out of the bathroom. She then makes her way out of the bedroom altogether.

I have a feeling things are about to get interesting.

* * *

_Author's Note: __I had MAJOR writer's block with this chapter! What do you think? Did my suffering pay off? lol. I stole/paraphrased some lines/scenes from The Parent Trap, Barbie as The P&P, and Twain's original story. Oh, Twain. The concept of your story is awesome but sadly the story itself is not. The prince and pauper switched places and the prince is trying to convince people that he's not the pauper! And the pauper is all scared because he's around royalty! Why did Twain make them idiots? They look alike so OBVIOUSLY people will think they're the other person! And If you look alike and switch places: OBVIOUSLY you have to act like each other! *sigh* Anyway, I'm playing Final Fantasy IX. I haven't made it all the way through the game and the only reason I know what happens is cuz I watched it on youtube. I got the game a few years ago but the PS1 wouldn't save and I died fighting a plant thing in Evil Forest, while fighting Baku, and while trying to get past the Black Waltz #1. (Pathetic right?) Then I decided to start it again recently (it still took me forever to get past the Black Waltz #1 but I finally did! :D) and all of a sudden the PS1 magically decided to save. How weird is THAT? Now I'm right before the Festival of the Hunt. Ugh... I really wanna win... Wish me luck! :/_


	4. A Different Perspective

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Final Fantasy IX it'd be recreated for the PS3 with voice acting AND have a sequel by now.**

* * *

I trot down the steps as quickly as possible. I want to get out before anyone recognizes me. Especially Steiner. I finally get to the bottom of the stairs only to find that I've jinxed myself-Steiner is standing in front of the double doors-which is the exit. I stop in my tracks and just look at him. He seems to be staring at a random unmarked spot and muttering to himself. I roll my eyes and walk towards the exit. There is no other way out since I'm dressed as a peasant. I put the cloak hood up and hope it conceals who I am. But since we look exactly alike it may not be a problem. And of course as I try to pass Steiner, he blocks my way. He looks me straight in my eyes with his own eyes looking like a vile snake. It puts me off-guard and I step back a little. I didn't know he could look so... mad.

"How _dare_ you bump into me! And how _dare_ you get me criticized by the princess!"

He said it as if he was trying not to yell. He said it with such intensity that now I am "afraid". Is this what "fear" feels like? The constant beating of the heart and accelerated breathing? I have been in the castle for most of my life; all of the servants and guards were told not to speak to any member of the royal family in that fashion. No one even dared to either or else their jobs would be in jeopardy. And also because of my sheltered upbringing I have never known "fear". This is something I am not familiar with. Why would anybody talk like that? Why would somebody want to make somebody else feel "fear"? Is what I am feeling right now "fear"? Why am I even thinking of this? I have never thought of this before! I look at him, pretty sure that my eyes are blank. So I quickly decide to say something simple. I think of contractions and other words that girl might say in a situation like this.

"I'm... sorry... I didn't mean to... get you into trouble." Good enough, I suppose.

He looks so angry but he is obviously holding back. To express his anger he opens the right door, grips my arm and flings me out the door.

I land on the hard concrete with a loud thump. I landed on my left arm and it starts shaking uncontrollably. I wince and turn around to look up at him in shock. His face is now stern.

"That is your place. Now be gone!" He shouts as he slams the door.

Why would Steiner or anyone do this? I slowly get up and steady my balance. My left arm is still shaking a bit. Maybe my arm is shocked as well. If this is what it is like to be thrown to the ground then I _really_ do _not_ want to experience the so-called beatings that girl gets almost every day. But no matter, I must perservere! I start walking to Madame Eclair's Dress Shop. I've been there two times when I was younger-of course I was accompanied by Steiner-to pick out a present for my mother so I remember where it is. I pass by so many homes and poor people. I see so many unclean children. Has my mother really allowed poverty in her own kingdom? I must do something about this when I return to the castle!

I finally get to a small building with the name of the shop on it. I see a closed sign and take it down. Since I'm here it might as well be open. I enter the building and see a bunch of dresses on mannequins. I notice two rooms, one to the far right and one to the far left. I believe the worse one is that girl's room. I take off the cloak and walk to the room in the far left. It doesn't look like a room that Madame Eclair would sleep in so I put the cloak on the small mattress. I walk out of the room and over to an orange dress and start wiping dirt off of it. I then hear someone enter the shop.

"Good. You cleaned up this mess. I was considering not letting you eat dinner today but I've changed my mind."

I look up and it is Madame Eclair. I do not know what to say to the woman who starves and beats that poor innocent girl. I know what I _want_ to say but it involves me revealing who I really am and I cannot do that. I just continue to wipe the dirt off of the orange dress.

"And by the way," she continued. "I will be going to the celebration honoring Princess Garnet's birthday so you will have to mind the shop until I get back."

That is impossible. Those seats are reserved for Nobles! And she is not a Noble! "Wait," I said. "Those seats are reserved for Nobles, right?" Surely there would be no harm asking her that. But she just looked at me.

"Are you stupid today? I go to every celebration the castle has! I look like a Noble so of _course_ they'd let me in!"

I am shocked! Who would _dare_ deceive all of royalty and nobility? Simply repulsive! Wait, if _she_ does this... does that mean others do it as well? She doesn't even _look_ like a Noble! What could the guards be _thinking? _I have to say something!

"But... isn't that... breaking the law or... something?" I asked, struggling with casual speach.

She all of a sudden put her face against mine so fast I gasp so loud you would think I am running out of air. "If you decide to tell, I won't feed you for three days! Got it?"

How _dare_ she? She has no right to-Wait, wait... I am disguised. I suppose she _can_ do this to me. For now. I nod my head in response and she backs away and smiles.

"Now, I'm going to a friend's. And clean _everything!_ I'll be able to tell if you slack off!" She turns around and walks quickly out of the building, leaving all by myself.

She has a friend? She has to be lying about that... I look around and it looks spotless-as spotless as this place can get, anyway. And when I was outside it looked fine too. But she wants me to do more? What more could there possibly be? Ugh, I wish Eva was here to do this instead of me.

#############################################

Eva stares at me looking confused. "Was that a friend of yours?"

Okay. I have to sound believable. I can do this, I can do this... Wait, what if I _can't_ do this?

"Uh, yes. Yes she is," I say as royally as possible. That wasn't too hard... Even though I don't really consider her a friend right now.

She looks past me and her eyes grow as large as black grapes. "Princess! Why is the bathwater all brown?" She runs over to the bathtub and looks into it as if there was a flower garden growing in there. I have to think of something fast. I'm a princess and the bathwater is brown... What would sound believable?

"I... I had some tea while I was bathing... and I accidently spilled it in the tub." _What?_ Did I _really_ just say that?

She looks at me. "Where's the teacup?"

I think quickly this time. "I gave it back."

She stares at me for a few moments and sighs. "I'll get Sue and Joanne to clean up this mess. Meanwhile, Princess, it is time for your breakfast. It is eight-thirty and you have a big day today. Follow me."

She walks by me and starts walking out of the bathroom. I follow right behind her. She... _believes_ me? And more importantly... _breakfast?_ Usually all I get for breakfast is a piece of bread when I actually _get _breakfast. I can only imagine what Garnet eats every day. We get to the huge staircase and I'm so excited I want to skip down the stairs! But not only would I not know where I'm going, I don't think princesses skip. So I keep walking slowly behind Eva.

We finally get to the dining room and it's _huge!_ The only thing in it is an incredibly long table and a door that I'm guessing must lead to the kitchen. Already on the table is a helping of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and a side of milk. I think I've seen people eating this in the pub and it always smelled _so_ good! I'm trying not to freak out but it's becoming _very_ hard. Luckily, Eva breaks the silence.

"The chefs apoligize for a limited breakfast this morning. They insist you save your appetite for the feast later on."

_Limited?_ You call _this_ limited? What exactly _does_ Garnet eat every day?

"Oh," Eva continues. "Your mother cannot dine with you this morning. She has a lot of things to do."

I can't stand it any longer. I want to _eat!_ I think of the most royal-sounding words so I can tell her to leave. "I understand, Eva. You are free to leave now." And right on cue she bows, mutters a 'Very well', and walks out of the room shutting the door behind her.

I wait for a few more moments and then take off running to sit down. I pick up the silverware and start gobbling down the food. The scrambled eggs are so juicy it makes me thirsty. I take a drink of milk and it's cold. I'm used to warm milk and I gotta say _this_ tastes a whole lot better. I take a bite of bacon and it is crunchy and also a little juicy. I take a bite of toast and how can I explain it? It tastes amazing. I keep switching between all my food. It's a good thing no one is watching me. If the queen was here she'd obviously see that something is different about her daughter. Oh! It just dawned on me! I have to face her sometime today! Oh no. What if she notices? Wait, what if Eva already noticed and is gonna tell the queen about it? Why am I worrying too much?

I finish my food in about five minutes. Was that too fast? I'm really full now. Ah, I'm actually kinda happy now. I guess someone will take care of the dishes so I wipe my face and walk out of the room. Oh, wow, was _that_ worth it. I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing right now. Maybe I'll explore a little. I start to go down the stairs when I notice people in the lobby. Should I sneak down? No, never mind. I don't think I can. Maybe I'll just see what's going on. I keep climbing down and stop in the middle and sit down. There are three staircases. Two really big ones on either side and one small one leading up to a portrait of the queen. I'm on the left one, and I see someone huge standing on the small one. Looks like the queen.

She's talking to a group of eight people. I can't hear what she's saying so I lower myself down a few steps. Now I can hear better.

"I'm sure you will do an excellent job performing for my daughter. After all, 'I Want To Be Canary' is her favorite play."

A big purple-bearded man answered her. "Yes. My boys are well-trained actors. We won't disappoint, Your Majesty."

The queen smiled. "Very good. Now, from my understanding, you already set up your airship in the correct spot?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. We just need to round up the orchestra and make sure everything works and that everyone knows their lines," Purple-beard answered, glaring at two rhino-looking people next to him.

They're all men accept for one girl. They all look... relatively normal except the rhino-people and one pink-looking person clutching a hammer. Another looks really tough and has really long hair. Or is that a bandana? The girl is extremely pale and wearing skimpy blue clothing. Another boy has red hair and is also wearing skimpy clothing... And the last one next to him looks more decent than the rest of them. He has blonde hair and I notice something swaying behind him. Is that a _tail?_ Okay then...

The blonde looks bored yet anxious. He starts looking around until he notices me. Oh no. Not good. He doesn't do anything to let everyone know I'm here. I start to feel relieved until he smiles and winks at me. I feel my eyes widen as I quickly turn away. He _winked_ at me. Why did he do that? I feel my face burn up. As much as I don't want to, I look back. He's still looking at me but this time he does a little wave. This time I turn away completely. I hear a little chuckle and sneak a peak. The blonde chuckled and the red-head elbowed him in the ribs and whispered something to him. I tip-toe back up the stairs and go back into the dining room and shut the door. I lean against the door... What the _heck_ just happened?

I wait for who-knows-how-long. I decide to peak out. I'm relieved to find the people gone. But the queen is still down there. I look at a nearby clock and it says nine-thirty. Has it really been that long? I step out and even though I don't want to talk to her I know it'll happen sometime today. I walk down the stairs.

"Hello... Mother," I say as calmly as I can once I finish walking down the stairs.

She turns her head towards me. "Garnet! Darling!" She walks over to me and takes my hands. "Happy sixteenth birthday! Aren't you excited?"

I try to smile wide amd sound excited. "Oh yes! I can hardly wait!"

She smiles. "Well, you're going to have to. The acting troupe Tantalus just left to prepare for the play."

Good. This makes me actually smile, making my fake smile bigger. "I am so excited, Mother!"

"Haha, yes. Well, I apoligize, dear. But I have a lot of things to attend to today. We'll chat once the play starts at eight-o-clock. How does that sound?"

Eight-o-clock? I have to wait _that_ long? "That sounds... lovely!" I respond, coming up with a weird word.

The queen starts walking away and I'm by myself again. But I can't believe it. I just lied to the queen and she believed me. If I'm that good maybe I should join Tantalus. Wait, that blonde... Never mind it's not worth it. I decide to explore more. I see more stairs leading down so I walk down them. It's a library. I walk back up the stairs to look for something else to do.

######################################

_Meanwhile... _

Queen Brahne fans herself on the balcony as she watches Tantalus set up for the play.

"Zorn! Thorn!" she calls.

Two court jesters appear. One dressed in red, and the other in blue.

"The time is drawing near," Queen Brahne continues. "Remember that girl that showed up on a boat in Alexandria ten years ago today? She's here."

"Should we do it now?" Thorn, the red court jester, asked.

"No! It is not yet time. You may do it tomorrow."

"What about Garnet, Your Majesty?" Zorn, the blue one, asked.

The queen grunted. "She is the least of my concerns right now."

* * *

_Author's Note: How would YOU look at a bathtub if flowers were growing in it? I'd have a 'WTH' face. And I think Zenero and Genero look like rhinos and that Cinna looks pink... but that's just me. And does anyone know whether Marcus has hair or is wearing a bandana cuz I really don't know. Too long? Too dull? Yes? No? Feedback is much anticipated! AND GUESS WHAT? I MISREAD TWAIN'S BOOK! Remember my rant in the last A/N? It turns out that they switched clothes for fun but the prince gets mad and was gonna go tell his father about how bad the pauper was getting treated or something so he stomps out while still wearing the pauper's clothes and then the guard throws him out. I think. Ugh, I wish they'd publish this book using normal words... Anyway, thanks for reading this far! I decided to use most of the stuff I've already written for this chapter so no major changes needed to be made! No suffering this time! YAY! :D But from the next chapter on it's gonna be raw. As in I didn't write any drafts for any more chapters. Oh well, it makes it more fun that way. :P By the way, my Language Arts teacher passed around grades. I hate to brag but I've had the highest grade in my 2nd period class this entire year. I'm happy about that... But 105.44%? Isn't that a little too much? I mean, really... BY THE WAY! I'M TAKING A LITTLE BREAK! I have to memorize the Gettysburg Address and I need all the luck I can get..._

_To Johnny, the anonymous reviewer who reviewed the last chapter: I'm glad you like it so far! The only reason my writer's block wasn't really noticable in the last chapter is cuz I kept making changes and rereading it over and over again. lol. I have no idea if you spelled that Grotto right but I know what you mean. I love the FFIX soundtrack. And no... Eva isn't Eiko. Eiko has purple (or is it blue?) hair and I put that Eva had red hair. BUT I see how you got that idea though. :) And your suggestion on covering Garnet's past gave me an idea for a little twist in the story. So thanks for that too! :D (By the way, were you actually referring to Garnet or Dagger? Because they both have mysterious pasts I suppose... Garnet got sick and the thing with Dagger's real identity... I assumed you were referring to Garnet... But either way, you still gave me a REALLY good idea. Although Garnet's sickness isn't really mysterious, with my new idea I'll MAKE it mysterious. :P)_


	5. The Play

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Final Fantasy IX it'd be recreated for the PS3 with voice acting AND have a sequel by now.**

* * *

The time finally came. Eva fitted me for a beautiful white dress with green designs on it. She put my hair in a bun and I get to wear high heels! And right now I'm staring into the mirror shocked that I could look as pretty as this. I'm absolutely awed. Although I hope Eva doesn't find anything suspicious about all the problems we came across while getting me ready.

The first thing she did was my hair and she noticed my split ends and asked how long it's been like that. I obviously couldn't say it's been like that for my whole life so I told her I didn't know in the most princessy way possible: I was not aware. So she had to cut a little of my hair. Then she put it in a bun and I gotta say, it's nice to have my hair out of my face for once. Then she helped me put the dress on and it was a little big for me. So she asked me if there was anything wrong with me. I just said no but she seemed really mad because she had to make it smaller and it took her a long time to do it. I wish I could've done it myself so it wouldn't have took a long time but I couldn't. She also said that since it's my birthday I don't have to wear a corset. Thank goodness. Not only would the corset not help my too-thin figure, I don't wanna wear one either. Then she gave me the high heels and those were a little too big too but I decided not to tell her because I already put her through enough.

"Are you ready, Your Highness?" Eva asks me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yes. Thank you."

I follow Eva to the balcony, trying to balance in the high heels and lifting my dress up to walk better. You know, I've always wondered why royalty and Nobles lift their dresses like that. I always thought they were showing off their fancy dresses by waving it in our faces or showing off how mature and refined they are. But maybe that has a little to do with it too.

We finally get to the balcony and Queen Brahne greets me happily with a warm smile.

"Oh, darling! You look simply wonderful!" She then runs over to me and hugs me.

I smile too. "Thank you, Mother."

Eva then leaves and now I'm alone with the queen.

"I'm sure the play will be magnificent!" she says.

I just nod and walk over to the end of the balcony and look around. There are so many people! And they're all Nobles! I can't believe all these people came just to see a play and celebrate Garnet's birthday! And the theater ship... It's huge! How much room is in there? I can see the stage and above that I see the orchestra playing. There's obviously a lot more to the ship. But what more can there be? The queen interrupts my thoughts and says to sit down because the play is about to begin. So I take my seat on the Princess' throne. It's soft and velvety. I sit up straight and wait. I think I'll have a good time tonight.

...

What is there to do? Nothing! And that is why I have not done a single thing! If I do not do anything I think Madame Eclair will not notice at all. She is too evil to notice anything of importance. I walk over to the opening and put the closed sign back outside. No one will come. Everyone will be at the play... I really wish I could go. But would that girl sneak out to go see it? Probably not. I know we are supposed to be acting like each other but I am not her. I grab that girl's cloak, and run out. I'm sure Madame Eclair will not notice.

There is no one out. I imagine they're either at the play or in their homes. It doesn't take long to get to the castle. Wait, how am I going to get in? Then I remember that the peasants watch things on the rooftops. I walk even more until I find any signs of people on roofs. That doesn't take long either. People are still climbing up. I find a place on the building to take my first step up. Once I do I notice that this building is very lopsided and old. It has a lot of lumps that could be used as footholds. Even though I have never climbed anything, this is suprisingly easy. All of a sudden I slip and let out a slight curse under my breath. I am now hanging only by my arms. I've heard that it is useless to look down so I don't. But I need help!

"Hey!" I hear someone call.

I look up and there is a young boy calling to me. Possibly thirteen or fourteen.

"Here!" he calls again. And then he reaches his left hand out to me while holding on to some part of the building. I find a comfortable position to hold on with my left hand and reach out my right hand to him. Almost right away he grips it. He starts to pull me up only to slip himself.

"Ahh!" I blurt out.

Then someone else starts pulling on the boy and I get pulled up automatically. And before I know it, I'm sitting on the roof. I look over at the boy who is sitting to my right. I notice he is kind of short and has red hair.

"Thank you," I say kindly. He blushes and looks away, muttering something. I feel a tap on my shoulder and look to my left. The other person that helped is a _very_ huge man who I notice is bald and has a red goatee.

"That's my son," he says. "He's always tryin' to be the hero. Hey, have you ever climbed up on the roof before?"

"No..." I answer honestly and the man starts laughing.

"Well, it was kinda obvious, but hey, there's a first time for everything, right? By the way, I'm Sam. And my son over there is Peter."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Garnet." I widen my eyes and look down. Oh no! I told who I am! This is _not_ good! I should've made up some other name... I look up at Sam and he is scratching his goatee.

"Hmm... You have the same name as the Princess, don't you?"

He... he doesn't recognize me? _Oh. Of course._ It is almost pitch black outside and I am a bit dirty. And the cloak hood is hiding most of my features. So I decide to play along. "Yeah."

"Isn't that something?" he asks rhetorically.

I decide to drop the subject and I start to look around and it looks amazing. There are a lot of people and I hope I do not fall... But the view is fantastic! Even though a similar celebration happens every year for my birhtday the view never ceases to amaze me. I see the royal seats and smile. I hope she has a wonderful time.

...

The play is really good. But if it were up to me, the royal seats would be in the front row. I think I'd enjoy it more if they were. But I won't complain 'cause these seats are so comfy! I recognized everyone I saw earlier and they don't look like much but they are _great_ actors. Although it _has_ been a while since that boy with red hair and skimpy clothing and that other boy with a tail have been on stage. It seems to me that their characters should be on more. Even if they aren't saying anything. It would make it more believeable, I think. I lean over to get my tea and notice strange shadows out of the corner of my eye. I look over to the doors. They're being guarded by Steiner and some woman I don't know. They both look at me expectantly and I smile to them so they won't get all worried. And that's when I see the shadows again. They're at the bottom of the door. Feet. There's someone there on the other side! I tell the queen I have to go relieve myself and then I get up and tell the same thing to the guards and they let me out.

...

What is she doing? Why is she leaving? She couldn't be relieving herself, could she? She has to stay and watch the whole thing! How strange. I hope everything is okay.

...

I close the door behind me and slowly step forward.

"Who's there?" I stage-whisper. "I know there is someone here. Stop hiding."

I look around slowly with a stern face, expecting someone to come out of hiding. But that's not exactly what I get. All of a sudden, someone grabs me from behind and twists my arms back so tight they feel like they might pop out. Before I could shout he covers my mouth. I look behind me and it's a guard for the castle! I try to scream but then he moves his hand and someone covers my nose and mouth with a cloth that has a strange smell to it and I can feel myself blacking out. I look up and see the blonde boy with the tail looking at me. And almost right away I lost energy everything faded away.

* * *

_Author's Note: To celebrate school finally being over-here's chapter 5! :D YAY! (By the way, at the end there, it's not cloroform or however you spell it. I don't really know what form sleeping weed is so I just made it like a liquid.) ...Can I rant for a sec? Cuz this ALWAYS happens to me! Whenever I start writing a story (like this one for example) I always get ideas for ANOTHER story and I can't stop thinking about them. -_- Expect a lot of crap from me this summer lol. :) And I apologize for the wait. I was also studying for finals and decided not to do anything until school was over, although I started this chapter a few days before school was over. (By the way, my Language Arts grade isn't over 100 anymore. My teacher made a mistake... But it's still the highest in my period. :P) School FINALLY ended on the 9th and I was too tired to do anything productive yesterday but I did work on this a little. I pretty much wrote everything so it was condensed and so I could add details later. Which is what I did today. If it seems a little suckish, sorry. I didn't really know how to put details in this one. So yeah, I'm not very proud of this one. But then again I'm probably just rushing to get past everything that happens before the good stuff happens. :/ Oh well, R&R&E (Read&Review&Enjoy) anyway! :D _


	6. Mix Up

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Final Fantasy IX it'd be recreated for the PS3 with voice acting AND have a sequel by now.**

* * *

"Ugh..." I sigh as I open my eyes. I notice I'm laying on my stomach on a couch in a room with very little light, the light coming from tiny windows. I turn over and sit up, swinging my legs over so I'm sitting normally. Then I lean back and put my left arm over my forehead. I have a headache so painful it's pulsing. I can't recognize where I am. Wait... how did I get here? I then remember those people grabbing me and knocking me out. My eyes widen and I bolt back up. Were they trying to kill me? What if I'm supposed to be dead right now? What if they're gonna kill be later? Or what if I'm being held hostage? This is _not_ good! But wait, there's no way they'd know I'm not the princess... So they kidnapped _me_ thinking I was the _princess!_ Did Garnet know about this already? Is that why she wanted to switch places? No... I don't think she'd do anything like this. Oh, I can see it now: The kingdom will rejoice knowing that the princess is in fact still alive and everything in Alexandria will go back to how it was before this. And where will that leave me? _Dead._ Hmm... Garnet better order a statue or _something_ to be made in my honor because if it weren't for me, the monarchy would've been destroyed! Ugh! Get ahold of yourself! There's no way I'm dying without a fight. But-

All of a sudden a nearby door to my left starts creaking open slowly and I plop back down on my stomach, facing away from the door. Playing dead won't help much but it's a good start. Someone is tip-toeing towards me, making creaking sounds. What do I do?

"Princess?"

That's a man's voice... it sounds familiar...

"Oh, Princess!"

The man is now at my side, shaking me violently. He shakes me with such a force that my shoulders start to stiffen and become very painful.

"Hey!" I blurt out, sitting up in the process. "Calm down! I thought you were the enemy, here..."

I rub my right shoulder and look up, and become surprised at who it is in front of me.

"S-Steiner?"

"Shh! Yes, Princess, it is I, Adelbert Steiner."

Oh, thank goodness I'm not alone. So the creaking sound must've been his armor. But... how did _he_ get here? Where is 'here'? What happened? My feel my breathing and my heart rate become faster and Steiner tries to calm me down.

"Princess! You were not physically harmed! Everything will be okay! I will get you out of here!" Steiner starts to get up but I grab his left arm and pull him back down.

_"Wait," _I say an octave below my normal voice. _"Where are we? What happened? Do _not_ try to get me out before you explain what the _heck_ is going on!"_

He looks shocked to have heard me-or the supposed 'Princess' rather-to have talked like that. I kind of am too but I swear I can't even _think_ straight!

He opens his mouth to speak but then we hear footsteps coming towards this room. Steiner gets up and tries to pull me off the couch by grabbing my left arm but it's too late. A group of people are now in the room, blocking the door. One of them lights a candle that lights the entire room. Steiner is still grabbing my arm so I pull away. I look over to the group of people and notice who they are: the man with a purple beard, the pink guy with a hammer, the tough guy who I notice _is in fact _wearing a bandana, the red-head with the skimpy clothing, and... the boy with the tail. Tantalus.

Steiner decides to break the eerie silence by shouting at them. "HOW DARE YOU PUT THE PRINCESS TO SLEEP AND THEN KIDNAP HER! YOU WILL GET THE DEATH PENALTY FOR SURE!"

The red-head rolls his eyes. "What're you gonna do? Try to get her out of here? Well there's no way because we're _flying_ and if you jump, you _both_ die. And you can't have the princess dying, can you?"

Steiner widens his eyes in realization and sits down and starts to grumble. "I'll think of something."

"Well you don't have to think hard," Purple-Beard spoke up. "We have no intention of killing either of you. Although if you cause too much fuss and try to smuggle her out then we might have to rough you up a little."

I breathe I sigh of relief and it must've been loud because everyone's looking at me expectantly. I remember my whole ordeal and look at them fiercely. _"What is going on?" _I accidently speak an octave lower again, but I don't care. _"Tell me right now."_

Purple-Beard sighed. "Well, you look pretty, uh, freaked. So here's the scoop. You already know that this is Tantalus. I am the leader. We-obviously-kidnapped you. We were to perform the play 'I Want To Be Your Canary' for your birthday and the plan was to distract everyone with the play while Blank and Zidane," he explained, pointing to the red-head and then to the boy with the tail. "were gonna do the real kidnapping."

"Whoa. Whoa. Whoa," I interrupt, confused. "Then what was with the guard?"

Before Purple-Beard could talk, Blank interrupted. "That was me. The plan was for me to go on the balcony and get you out by saying you needed to see something or... something... Actually, to tell you the truth, I didn't think about what I should say so when you came out you kinda saved me from being caught..."

He trailed off after looking at me, I guess. I know I must not look content at the moment. I can feel anger and annoyance building up within me like a raging fire. I don't know_ what _I look like but I know it ain't a pretty sight. I almost blurted something but then Zidane interrupted, continuing the story.

_"Anyway,_ so you came out and we panicked. So I hurried and ripped some cloth off of my shirt and poured some sleeping weed on it. Blank decided to grab you and... well... you should remember what happened next..."

"Okay, so you were gonna kidnap me. I understand that. But _why?_ What happened while I was out? Where am I right now? How long have I been asleep? You guys just told me things I could've figured out on my own." I've never felt so annoyed and angry in my life! And for some reason I'm getting flashes of Madame in my mind, pointing out the obvious to me as if I'm some dim-witted girl who can't think on her own! I know _they_ don't mean to do this but I just want answers... Wait, Garnet! How is she? What is she doing right now? Oh man, _what_ is happening in Alexandria?

Now Steiner decides to jump in the conversation. "Right now it is a few hours after your birthday... It is dawn. Oh but yesterday was absolute madness! Me and Beatrix heard you outside the doors and came to see what was going on and we saw them running with you and then we called the troops, informed the queen... Then they tried to get away on their ship and Queen Brahne tried to shoot it down but to no avail... I think there were slight damages to buildings... But luckily _I_ got on to save you!"

He said that last sentence with so much triumph that I could've laughed in his face. But I'm holding it in. These guys are right. He's powerless here. We're on the ship... what was it called again? ...The Prima Vista. Yeah, so we're on the _flying_ Prima Vista so there's no way he can get me out. And I'm pretty sure Tantalus will have their eyes on me... And I've been here for a few hours so I think it's a little too late to try to get away... Not to mention, if I tried it'd be hopeless. They look strong.

"Okay..." I said, finally understanding. "Then where are you taking me?" Steiner looked up at me in confusion and I don't get why. That's a normal question isn't it?

"Lindblum," the guy with the bandana said.

"And so I'm pretty much stuck here until then?"

"Pretty much," said the guy with the hammer.

I lean back on the couch. "Fantastic."

And all of a sudden there's a huge amount of turbulance and the Prima Vista starts to go down.

...

My hands are shaking so hard I can hardly hold my teacup. I put it down so I will not spill. My right arm is slightly injured from last night but it is feeling much better. Oh, last night... it was insane! I was sitting on the roof watching the play and apparently there was some commotion from when that girl left the royal seats. Then some guards were chasing two people and I could _not_ believe that they were actually running away with _that girl! Carrying_ her no less! They knocked her out somehow, I suppose. So they ran to the back of the Prima Vista with the guards right behind them and I don't know what happened but all I know was that the guards were all knocked out once the Prima Vista started taking off. My mother ordered others to try and shoot it down but it didn't work. It only veered off-course, smashing into buildings along the way. Including where _I _was seated. Sam and Peter fell off and I tried to stay on but I ended up falling as well. Then on my way down I hit my arm on something and before I could assume more damage, Sam caught me. And he offered me the chance to stay with him and Peter and I _gladly _accepted. There is no _way_ I am going back to Madame Eclair's. It's not like I could bear it either. Besides, this place is somewhat nicer than Madame Eclair's. It is just a small house with a kitchen and dining area on the first level and the sleeping area on the second level up the stairs. At first I was shocked that a house could be this small. All the homes look bigger on the outside. But I couldn't think about that for very long.

I am worrying so much. All I hear is 'The princess has been kidnapped! The princess has been kidnapped!' but she hasn't. I am here. But I cannot say that. Who knows how much trouble I will get in? But what if that girl _dies?_ It would be all my fault! It should've been _me_ that they kidnapped! This is all my fault! It was _my_ idea to switch in the first place! Oh, I hope she's okay... But there is no real way to tell whether or not she will actually _be_ okay... If I go back to Madame Eclair's I do not think I could handle it. I need to tell Mother I am alright! But I still have that fake horn. It will not go away until tomorrow. Yes, I will take care of this tomorrow.

"Hey..."

I snap out of my thoughts and turn to the voice that is trying to get my attention. It is Peter. "Yes?"

"Uhh... How long are you going to be staying with us?"

I am shocked at that question. Why? I do not know. "Well... Hopefully I'll get out of your hair by tomorrow."

He looks disappointed at my answer so I ask him what is wrong.

"Oh, it's nothing, really..." He walks away slowly and walks up the stairs. Sam walks in the door and starts talking to me.

"It's crazy out there. I'd suggest you don't go anywhere today. People are running like it's the end of the world not to mention there's damage."

My face must've looked really worried because he added on quickly. "But not _a lot _of damage. Easily fixed."

I am relieved. "Sam? I am thinking of leaving tomorrow."

Sam looks at me. "You have family?"

"Uhh... Something like that," I answer.

"Well, until then, you get some sleep. See that mattress and blanket over there? You can sleep there."

I look over at the mattress. It is almost exactly like the mattress back at Madame Eclair's. But I decide not to argue. Even if it is dawn, I am _exhausted. _"Thanks..." I say. And I walk over and lay down, falling asleep right away.

* * *

_Author's Note: HA HA! I think I redeemed myself with this chapter. :P This time I thought more about it and tada! But at the beginning there I wasn't entirely sure what room it should be. So feel free to use your imaginations (even though there's that one room at the very beginning of the game where you light that candle but there're no couches in there...). And I know in the beginning of the game when they're gonna kidnap her Zidane was like "And I've got a little something for Princess Garnet's teacup!" (or something to that effect...) but I just don't see how they were gonna go to the balcony and just pour the sleeping weed in her teacup... It just doesn't make sense to me so I changed it a little. :P I think about things way more than I should... Anyway, I'm glad this one turned out! I guess I concentrate better when I'm not listening to music lol... (Well... certain KINDS of music anyway.) But who cares about MY opinion? I wanna know yours! Reviews and/or PMs are always welcome and appriciated!_


	7. Suspicions

**DISCLAIMER: If I owned Final Fantasy IX it'd be recreated for the PS3 with voice acting AND have a sequel by now.**

* * *

I didn't even have time to think before I got thrown against the wall on the other side of the room. Luckily I'm on the couch so it didn't hurt. It just knocked the wind out of me. I try to get up but the ship is too steep now. If we weren't in a dangerous situation and if I wasn't pretending to be the princess I'd laugh at how everyone is scrambling. Although it doesn't last, eventually everyone gets out of the room and I'm stuck. I can't see Steiner anywhere. Where'd he go? All I hear is the loud sound of inner functions going haywire eventually joined by a high-pitched noise. It sounds like someone screaming while on helium-I found out how that sounds the hard way when I was younger-and I bring my hands to my ears to block out the deafening noise and start to get up and walk toward the door.

I get startled as someone enters the room and runs toward me.

"Come on, Garnet!" It's not Steiner but the boy called Zidane. He grabs my left arm and starts to pull me toward the door through the steepness of the room, going quicker than me when I tried to get to the door. I don't say anything as he's pulling me. He's only helping me because Tantalus is holding me _hostage!_ Then again, I have a question to ask him.

"Uh, Zidane?" I shout over the loud noises.

"Yeah?" he shouts back.

"Where's Steiner?"

"You mean the guy in the rusty armor? I saw him fall out the window."

"WHAT?"

"Don't worry! I'm sure he's fine! I know you were expecting him to come to your rescue and all but you'll just have to settle for me at the moment!"

I don't have time to say anything else because we're already at the door and he starts to run. I pick up my dress so I won't trip. I notice we're now holding hands (how'd that happen?)but I decide not to argue because we're _not_ in the best situation right now. He steers me to what looks like the control room and shouts to the others. A tiny argument starts but I can't hear anything they're saying. Then he steers me to the back of the ship where I see the ground below me.

"We have to jump!" Zidane shouts.

I face him, bewildered. "WHAT? No way! We'll die!"

"Just trust me!"

And still holding hands, we jumped to the ground below while hearing the sound of an explosion behind us.

...

I woke up around eleven and I'm currently walking around my kingdom, surveying the damage. It's not much, thank goodness. Just a few buildings damaged. No deaths either.

I really hope that girl is okay. I just can't believe someone would try to kidnap me on my birthday! She must think I was behind it. Ugh! Why do I get lucky all the time? For once, I want to be affected by something without being protected somehow just like every other normal person! For instance, when I was five I pulled a tablecloth off of a huge table and the dishes that were on it missed me by a few inches! There have been plenty of other times as well.

But now that I think about it, I guess I have been affected by two things: Two years ago when my father died I was so distraught. That same day I saw a little girl playing with her father and wished death on him. I regret it now. That little girl must've been a toddler or maybe a little older. It would make her worse off than me. What if that was her only parent? Then she'd be a poor orphan who would've died soon unless someone decided to take her in... Why did I wish death on him in the first place? Maybe it was because if something bad happened to me I'd want everyone else to feel it too. I didn't want to be the only one who was suffering.

The other time was when I was six. I had a horrible sickness that nearly claimed my life. I only remember the high fever and the sweating and the panting and moaning... I could not keep my eyes open so that's probably why I don't remember. Apparently my tutor gave me all sorts of different remedies in hopes that I would get better. Something worked and I was better eventually. Mother and Father were so relieved! But wait... Mother acted a little strange once I got better. I didn't think much of it at the time...

Why am I thinking of these things? All of these things are irrelevent now. They have nothing to do with my current situation!

I walk back to Sam and Peter's house and see them eating breakfast.

"Haha! I told you she'd come back, Dad!"

"Well, well, Garnet. Do you want breakfast? You have to be starving by now."

I smile and sit at the table with them and look at my breakfast in front of me. It is a little fish by the looks of it. Without being rude I pick it up with my hands and start to eat it. It's a little burnt but overall it isn't that bad. All of a sudden I'm overwelmed by their kindness. "Excuse me... But why are you being so kind to me?"

They look at each other. Peter keeps eating while Sam stops to look at me. "You're just a young girl. And with the scare last night I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Oh... How thoughtful," I say with a slight smile. I'm a complete stranger (at least that's what I'm acting like) and yet they decided to help me...

"Say, shouldn't you be gettin' home to your family soon?"

Sam snaps my thoughts shut and I hurry to answer him. "Oh, well... I don't think they'll be especially worried at the moment..."

That didn't make much sense but thankfully no one asked any questions.

We're all silent again and I keep noticing Peter looking at me from time to time.

Tomorrow once my horn vanishes I will go to the castle and tell everyone I am in fact okay and that it was all my fault. And that someone should try to save that girl. Yes, surely they will understand.

...

I opened my eyes only to find myself on a bed. I bolt up and look myself over. The dress is a little dirty and ripped, the heel on my left shoe broke and I can feel that my bun is all messed up and lop-sided. It's practically falling out and a lot of my hair came down. What the heck happened? The last thing I remember was jumping off of the Prima Vista with Zidane... Aw! Don't tell me I got knocked out _again!_ Ugh!

I get up and notice I must be in a little inn. I walk through the door and out the inn. Where is Zidane? He has to know what happened to me! I don't even pay attention to my surroundings, I'm just looking for Zidane. Luckily I don't have to look far; he's across from the inn. I run over to him, stumbling along the way.

"Zidane? What _happened?"_

He turns to me and looks me over. "Wow, you're a mess."

I glare at him. "Yeah, as if you didn't know! Now _tell me _what happened!"

He puts his hands up as if to surrender. "Okay, okay, yeesh. So remember when we jumped off together? Well your head hit _pretty _hard on the ground. I started to carry you but then Rusty over here," he points to Steiner who I didn't even notice standing next to him, "starts yelling at me so he carried you instead." He finishes with a look of disappointment on his face. Ugh, I do_ not _need this. I still can't even _think _straight! I don't wanna deal with him so I turn to Steiner-interrupting whatever he was about to say.

"And what happened to you? You just disappeared when the ship started to go down."

"Well my armor saved me from certain death... I fell and started bouncing away..."

"Okay, that's...good... I guess... Now where exactly are we?"

"We're in the Village of Dali. We flew over Evil Forest and by the time the ship crashed we just had to go through the Ice Cavern to come here," Zidane answered. "And you've been out for a _long_ time. It's almost sunset right now."

I look up and to my amazement, he's right. The sun is almost at the end of the sky. I don't know what "Evil Forest" or "The Ice Cavern" is and frankly I don't really care. My expression must've interrupted what ever Steiner was about to say... again.

"Well," Steiner said. "I'm going to look for an item shop. And _you!_ Monkey boy! Do not do anything to Her Highness!" He then walked away with 'clanks' and all.

Zidane rolled his eyes without responding. I still must look pouty because now Zidane is giving me a look.

"What?" I demanded.

"You know... You don't seem very... princessy."

I freeze. But quickly recover. "What do you mean?"

"Well, just the way you talk... You don't have a royal tone in your voice. And you use certain words and phrases that someone like _me_ would use."

Oh no. He's suspicious! But why _him?_ Why didn't Steiner figure it out already? He's smirking at me. Is he messing around? Oh _crap!_ I couldn't think straight on the Prima Vista and I wasn't watching how I talked... And I did pretty much the same thing just now! Crap, crap, crap! I have to throw him off. Ugh, it won't work but I might as well try...

"What would you know about royal speech?" I ask, putting the "royal tone" back in my voice.

His smirk turns into a grin. "Ah, see, right there. You just changed your voice because I caught you off guard. And you should perfectly well know that Tantalus has been in Alexandria numerous times to perform for the royal family."

My eyes narrow. "And what does that have to do with anything?" I'm trying not to let him get to me... Not working.

"So, Tantalus has heard the queen and even you talk before. You sound different."

"How different?" I ask, my eyes still narrowed.

"Well for one thing your voice is a little higher in pitch and I already told you that you talk pretty casually... Oh you look different too. You're thinner than you were the last time we came to Alexandria. And I can tell you're not wearing a corset."

I subconciously cross my arms over my stomach. How would _he_ know something like _that?_

"And your face is slighty different. I'm not sure how, it just is. Prettier, actually. I can tell you're somehow slightly shorter, too."

My eyes widen as heat rushes to my cheeks. How does he notice _everything?_ Me and Garnet thought we looked almost exactly alike! He has to be bluffing. "Well... People change as they grow older. I have never noticed these changes you speak of." Oh, what's the point? We both know he's on to something.

"Uh huh. Sure."

"So what exactly are you saying to me?"

"Hmm. I'm saying either there's something wrong with you or..." He trailed off, making his grin even wider. "you're not actually the princess! Haha!"

My eyes widen some more. I think he's just joking... But he's right on the money! I turn my surprise into a scowl. "You... You... You imbecile!" I shout, looking for a proper word. I heard someone say that once. I hope it's good enough. "Are you trying to toy with me? You're lucky I don't have you imprisoned for talking to me this way!"

He laughed once. "I'm so scared!"

I turn around and stomp away. I trip over my one heel and fall on the ground. I get up and angrily take off my heels and throw them at Zidane. I'm not sticking around to see what happened. I walk back into the inn where I'll sleep (or at least pretend to sleep) until tomorrow. As I try to let sleep take me away, I faintly hear someone shout something that sounds like 'I'm so stupid!'. But I don't pay attention to it and try to relax.

* * *

_Author's Note: Okay I lied. I wrote a draft for some of this because I got writer's block. Oh well, whatever. I'm feeling more confident about this. But also very tired... I've never dedicated myself to writing a whole story before. So if there're long intervals between the posting of chapters just assume I'm being lazy or that I have writer's block or that I'm editing the story a lot (or that certain people in the house don't want me to spend so much time on the computer). XD By the way, I gave up on trying to read the stupid P&P book. I know the main plot and that's all that really matters. -_-_


End file.
